Conventional construction techniques require wood framing to be fastened together on top of a cinderblock or cement foundation. Holes must then be cut in the framing and foundation to run the required services, such as heating, plumbing and electricity. Subsequently, an exterior facade of bricks or siding is placed over the framing, while a finished surface of drywall or plaster is mounted on the interior surface of the framing. All of these steps are quite labor intensive, requiring various different specialized teams of laborers. This type of construction also results in a great deal of waste, which must be cleaned up from the construction cite, and disposed of at a remote dumping cite.
Conventional modular construction techniques do not simplify or limit the labor requirements, they simply move some preliminary work inside the builder's warehouse. The same holes must be cut in the framing, and the same waste is produced by the assembly. Moreover, large prefabricated portions of the structure must be transported to the construction cite using special equipment with increased cost. Furthermore, the prefabricated portions are specific to one type of house, and not useable for different structural designs.
Conventional building block toys, such as Lego®, provide a plurality of interlocking blocks for constructing anything from rectangular structures to detailed space ships Recent developments in building blocks include all different shapes and sizes. However, none have been developed including interconnecting service conduits for running parallel electrical wiring and water systems between perpendicular walls. Moreover, none have been developed with specially designed base panels, wall panels and ceiling panels.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a modular construction system including prefabricated interlocking panels with interconnecting service conduits for use in a variety of different housing designs both full size and miniature.